Multicopter aircraft typically include a plurality of lift rotors disposed at outer extremities of the aircraft, such as at the end of booms or other structures that extend radially from a center region of the aircraft.
Multicopter aircraft may have rotors that are mounted on the underside of a boom or other structure, and which provide lift to the aircraft from the underside of the structures on which the rotors are mounted.
Some multicopter aircraft may be designed to take off and land on water and/or to fly over water, and may have pontoons or other flotation type landing gear. Typically, landing gear may be mounted near a central part of the aircraft, from which the structures on which the rotors are mounted may extend outwards.
For a manned multicopter, a pilot or other passenger typically is seated near the center of the aircraft. To get into or out of the aircraft, the pilot or other passenger may need to step up onto a part of the aircraft that extends away from the center, such as a boom or other structure on which a rotor may be mounted. The weight of the person may tend to tip the aircraft, since the pontoon or other landing gear may not provide a wide base and/or may not be located under a structure on which the person must step to board or deplane, potentially resulting in damage to a rotor. For a waterborne aircraft, the person may not have the option to walk on the ground between structures to get access to and mount the center portion, and even for non-waterborne aircraft such access may not be safe or possible.